Honeywell M7415, Technical Reference Manual, Page: 8 / 218

Section 1 - Ventilation
Honeywell Economizers 63-8594-02 2
Indoor Air Quality
The characteristics of the indoor climate of a building, including the gaseous
composition, temperature, relative humidity, and airborne contaminants.
The Arab oil embargo of 1974 caused many
building designers to begin implementing
energy cost reduction measures. One of these
measures was to seal up the building shell to
reducing exfiltration of indoor air and the
resultant heat loss. Energy costs were
reduced but there was a significant negative
side effect that was not detected until 1988:
Indoor Air Quality. Many buildings constructed
prior to 1974 had sufficient leakage through
poorly sealed windows and doors to
adequately ventilate the building. Construction methods used between 1974 and 1988
substantially reduced this leakage. As a result
many buildings constructed between 1974 and
1988 are not adequately ventilated for the
occupants.
As the energy costs continue to rise into the
beginning of the 21st century, building
managers are seeking ways to reduce the
energy usage in new and existing buildings
and continue to provide a healthy environment
for the building occupants.